vSphere Storage APIs - Storage Awareness (VASA) FAQ

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides answers to frequently asked questions about vSphere Storage APIs - Storage Awareness.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.x

VMware vCenter Server 7.x
VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Resolution

vSphere Storage APIs - Storage Awareness (VASA) is a set of APIs that permit arrays to integrate with vCenter for management functionality. Storage Vendor Providers allow vCenter Server to retrieve information from storage arrays including topology, capabilities and status.

What does vSphere Storage APIs - Storage Awareness require?

vCenter Server 5.0 or later
ESXi hosts version 4.0 or later
Storage arrays that supports Storage API - Storage Awareness plug-ins.

Note: The Vendor Provider is a third-party software, provided by the storage provider, that is installed on the storage array or management device. The vCenter Server uses the Vendor Provider to retrieve the status, topology, and capabilities of the storage array.

What information is supplied by the Vendor Provider?

The Vendor Provider exposes three pieces of information to vCenter Server:

Storage Topology: Lists information regarding the physical storage array elements.
Storage Capabilities: Lists the storage capabilities and the services that the storage array offers, which can be used in Storage Profiles.
Storage State: Health status of the storage array, including alarms and events for configuration changes.

How do I know if my Storage supports Vendor Providers?

See the https://compatibilityguide.broadcom.com or check with your storage vendor, who can provide you with information as to whether your storage supports Vendor Providers.

What are the benefits of using a Vendor Provider?

The Storage System information presented by the Storage Vendors is visible in vCenter Server. This provides an complete "end-to-end" view of your infrastructure from the vCenter Server.
The Storage Capabilities information presented by the Storage Providers appear as system-defined entries for Storage Profiles.

What are the requirements for installing and using a Vendor Provider?

The Vendor Provider cannot run on the same host as the vCenter Server.
The Vendor Provider must have bi-directional trust with the vSphere Storage Management Service, via an SSL certificate exchange.

Can I create a Storage Profiles based on Storage Capabilities from a Vendor Provider?

The Vendor Providers provide a set of system-defined capabilities, which can be used to manage virtual machine placement. This allows virtual machines to be optimally placed based on the storage arrays capabilities.

How is this different from Storage APIs - Array Integration (VAAI)?

Both VASA and VAAI belong to the same family of Storage APIs, used by third-party hardware, software and storage providers to enhance several vSphere features and solutions. The two features work independently, but can coexist:

Storage APIs - Array Integration provides for hardware acceleration of certain storage operations, reducing CPU overhead on the host. For more information on VAAI, see https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/318941/frequently-asked-questions-for-vstorage.html.
Storage APIs - Storage Awareness collects configuration, capability and storage health information from storage arrays. This allows the administrator to build Storage Profiles based on capabilities.